Not a fan of Royalty (Ryoma Echizen)

School ended maybe three hours later. I’d made fun of Momoshiro, but was pretty much in the good graces of the guys I’d had lunch with. As the bell rang, Ryoma looked rather excited. Though not many saw the change in his demeanor.

“What’s got you looking a like a monkey with a banana?” I asked, slightly confused.

He ignored the monkey comment and answered as he gathered his stuff. “Got tennis practice.”

Tennis? I thought, grabbing my bag. “Mind if I tag along?”

He looked over as we moved to the door.

“If you don’t mind the fan girls,” he smirked, confusing me further.

Fan girls?

As we got to the tennis courts, I understood what he meant. There were girls lined up at the fence, all asking one question. Where’s Ryoma-kun?

He shrugged when I looked over at him and pointed at the chicks.

“Are you, like, totally indifferent when it comes to this? Our lives could be in danger,” I whispered, trying to avoid getting their attention as we walked by.

“I’m not the one in danger, they’re gonna eat you alive, though,” Ryoma said, smirking as we reached the right courts, unharmed.

I let out a sigh of relief.

I’d been the enemy of fan girls at my old school, all because I had to ask this one really popular guy a question on my homework. Needless to say, they blew up my mailbox, and left my scarred for life.

“Hey, it’s Kaku-chan!” Eiji grinned, throwing his arm around me. “What’re you doin’ here?”

I blinked, Ryoma had left me to fend for myself.

“Well, Ryoma said he had tennis practice, and I asked if I could tag along, because I’d rather watch you guys play then go home,” I explained.

“Oh…” he said in realization. “You should ask Tezuka and Coach Ryuzaki, though. Otherwise they’ll boot you out.”

I ran off to find Tezuka, who said he didn’t mind as long as I didn’t distract anyone. When I asked Coach Ryuzaki, she said that I might be of some help.

So I sat on the bench, watching the starters practice. I was rather surprised to see Ryoma, but didn’t say anything. And that’s how I spent my after school.

-------------------------------------------~♥~

When I got home, my dad was a worried mess.

“Hey, Dad,” I waved at him as I walked to my room.

“Hikkaku-chan!” he wailed. “Where were you? I was worried sick!”

I looked at him from the doorway. He was a little pale.

“I was at the tennis courts at school. Don’t worry about it.”

Out in the hall he was blubbering, crying about the nonchalance and lack of worry in his beloved daughter. Then again, he did this whenever I got home late.

I changed into a tank top and jeans.

“Don’t worry, Dad. There were people there, I couldn’t have been murdered or raped,” I sighed, patting him on the shoulder.

“Haven’t you heard of group rape?!” he cried, sniffing.

I gave him an exasperated look before walking past him. “I’m gonna go out for a bit, call if you need anything,” I waved at him as I walked from the house and down the road.

For a while I just wandered around aimlessly, kinda tired and annoyed.

That’s when my phone went off, telling some Emo Kid to cheer up. But… that ‘s my anonymous ringtone.

Deep breathing answered my hello.